


Flight

by DeathlyWhispers



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Explicit Language, Gen, M/M, Parkour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-01-24 21:41:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1618022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathlyWhispers/pseuds/DeathlyWhispers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Delivery is a fast job. Quick, clean, almost always uninterrupted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Job

Wind. It races through my short black hair as my arms carry me over the vent along the rooftop of a cold, unmarked building in the mid cities. I pause for breath as I plan my continued path.

My eyes dart between the buildings, calculating a way to cross Main unseen. I snake my hand into my canvas bag, assuring my delivery is still tucked securely in the hidden pouch.

A city that runs autonomously is, in theory, perfect. When every movement is monitored and calculated, even derivations from the norm are accounted for. It is in a society like this that private information is the most valuable asset. Money can buy silence, but information can buy loyalty.

If you give a man a hundred thousand dollars, he will keep quiet until someone else offers him one hundred and one thousand. If you show a man his family’s addresses, schedules, locations, and weaknesses, he will keep quiet until he is dead.

My job is to deliver that information. I never know what the package contains, who it is for, or why it is being used, but I don’t care. I would rather deal with people who have no connection to me than work with cogs that feign respect.

My path is clear. I run up the concrete beside me, giving me access to the grid cable spanning across the street. I hop on top of the taut cable, balancing carefully as I dash along the thick steel rope.

It doesn’t take much longer to arrive at the drop point. I retrieve the small drive from the hidden pocket in my bag, along with the epoxy and water cutter. I quickly figure the area, using the water cutter to drill into the wall. I extract the small piece of concrete, cut enough off of it to fit the package into, and slide it back in before covering the area with the adhesive.

As I stride away, I toss the tools into my bag and pull my cell, ticking a box off of my to-do list.

The voices call me Windjammer. My name is Levi.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Places where I can observe the city, without the city observing back. My phone dimly lit my face, maneuvering my fingers deftly over its controls. My eyes scan the low skyline, up to the mountains surrounding the city. My phone buzzed in my hand, signaling a new assignment.

[Pickup: 357.83. Delivered: 357.82]

I read the message twice, blinking and reading it again. I glare at my phone and read it once more.

“Who the fuck do they think I am.” I sneer at my phone, deleting the message once the coordinates had burned themselves into my mind. I pocket my phone before I climb down from the clock tower’s pipe, shaking my head.

“A fucking one block delivery. Who the hell pays for this stuff.” Just as I return to the ground, my phone buzzes again. I expect it to be corrected coordinates, but it is a short message, which is unusual.

[High danger level. Pay raised accordingly]

“High danger? How?” I sigh out of the side of my mouth. The crowded streets make sufficient cover for me until I reach my destination.

Once I locate the package, I take to the rooftops, surveying as normal. I give myself some time to survey, cautionary due to the probably unnecessary warning. I walked casually towards the destination; less than a three minute walk if I’m keeping out of the city’s sight. 

An easy job. Easier than it should be. Normally the job is one side of the city to the other and I get paid enough to make it worth my while. Now I’m being paid more than that to take a drive less than 100 yards from where it was when it started.

I contemplated this as I walked along the rooftop, barely noticing the large man tailing me.

“Dammit. Really?” I curse under my breath before I drop onto a ledge and break into a full sprint in the other direction. I hear a noise and glance up to see him running along the roof above, barely ten feet behind me.

“ _Fuck_ ” I grunt as I jump to the opposite wall, propelling myself downwards onto the alley below, sprinting as I try to shake my tall stalker.

 

 

“Information is the only commodity that can be replicated for free, but isn’t for a price.” - Unknown


	2. Windjammer

My breath caught in my throat.

_Turn to look over my shoulder._

He’s still chasing

_Vault the wall, jump on the roof, continue._

His arms take him gracefully over the same obstacles, more graceful than I had managed.

_Leap the gap between the buildings, slide, jump, grab the pipe and turn, jump down, wall._

He had cornered me. These walls were too high to vault and too far apart to jump between.

_Look, surroundings: trash can, cardboard box, bright purple neon shining in my face._

He stood at the end of the alley, a slight smirk on his face as he closed the gap.

_Panic. Look, surroundings: can, box, light, him._

“I’m not here to hurt you.”

_Clutch it close to my chest. Protect the intel. Or die with it._

“I’m here to make sure you won’t.” He was only a couple of meters away.

_Back to the wall, capsule between my teeth, begin to bite._

He flashed close to me, grabbing my jaw in his powerful grip. The cyanide capsule fell from my lips and met with a soft tick on the ground, indistinguishable in the rain.

_Caught. Worse than death._

“Windjammer. I won’t hurt you. We just need to talk.”

_Spit flies into his sharp face. He wipes it away._

He takes my hand and presses it against the wall, pinning me with his knee.

“I will correct myself. I don’t want to hurt you, but that might change. Cooperate with me, and it won’t.”

_More spit. How much more is left? Was that red?_

He wipes it away again, testing his knuckles against my cheek before reeling back and showing their force.

“One more time. Come peaceful, you will meet no more harm. We have something to discuss.”

_Did I know him? Do I? Who is he working for? What is the purpose?_

His eyes met mine. There was a ferocity in them that burned like unforged silver.

_Escape impossible. Surrender or fight? Fist to jaw, released arm comes down, knockout blow. Escape._

I try to gain leverage and swing upwards, my fist caught in the palm of his hand. His blonde hair shone pink through the purple neon behind him.

“It’d be a pity to hurt that face any more. So much anger. It would be better channeled elsewhere.”

I try to overpower him, willing my fist to connect with his smug ass face. He easily pushes my arm against my side. He presses his forehead against the wall next to me.

“You are immensely talented. Don’t you think you are wasted as a delivery boy?”

He pressures my wrist and the drive falls from my grasp, clattering to the ground alongside the capsule that had already half-dissolved in the rain. His foot smashed the casing into the concrete.

“I don’t want your secrets. I want your skill.”

I angle my head and bring it against his. Response time is almost inhuman. The instant I connect, he takes the hand above me and spins me in place, bending me down alongside the wall, my face pressed hard against the brick.

“Last chance. Levi, come with me, and I will show you a better side of living.”

_My name. How?_

I shove against him, and I feel a sharp pain in the back of my neck before the dark, rainy alleyway fades into a dark, spiraling abyss.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

_Water. Face. Wet._

I jolt awake, an impulse to prevent drowning. My arms are tied behind me tight enough that they have not woken from my sleep. My head lolls back against the hard wooden chair.

“This is your idea of not hurting me?” I spit into the darkness pierced by a single fluorescent light hanging above my head. I can’t get a good picture of my surroundings due to the direct light.

“This is my idea of streamlining a process.” The man from the alley steps into the light. I try to lash out at him with my legs, but they stay in place, ropes cutting against the fabric of my black pants, still soaked with rain water.

“What process? Where am I?” I writhe against my bondage, shaking the water from my face. He lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. A hand that had been my enemy last time I was awake.

“You are safe here. I know you don’t have anyone looking for you. As far as your employer knows, you are dead. There was a body. Not yours obviously, but close enough in size and stature to fool any cursory acquaintance.” His voice was no longer fierce and determined. It flowed like silk through the room, trying to win my favor. I hate silk.

“Why would you do this? I didn’t need to disappear. I was fine as I was. What do you want from me?” My questions came as quickly as my brain could process them. My life had been simple. Pick up the package, drop off the package, don’t get caught. I failed that last bit.

“We need them to think you are gone. We need someone with your skills-“ “BULLSHIT!” I spat, feeling the cold spray drift back down on my face. “I don’t have any skills. I can run, and I can blend in. Apparently you are better than me at both, so why do you need me?”

He retreated into the darkness, returning with a file folder with paper clips along the outside. He retrieved a sheet of paper from the folder, which was emblazoned in red with the word [PROSPECTS]. “Levi Ackerman. Alias: Windjammer. Strengths: Combat, Adaptability, Speed, Stealth. Weaknesses: Loner, Cocky, Rash. Recruit rating: 8/10.” He closed the folder as my eyes widened.

“How do you know my name.” The words were less of a question than a command. “I erased all record! How!” I spat, looking my captor in the face.  He smirked.

“We have access to more information than anyone who would want to find you. As I said, for all intents and purposes, Levi Ackerman is dead. As is Windjammer.” His voice quickened, trying to gain my favor.

“What could you possibly need a delivery man for?” I struggle once more against my restraints, the smell of the room finally registered. I was far underground. The lack of ventilation was evident. This room was dangerous.

“We don’t need a delivery man. We need _you._ ” He looked harshly at me, taking out a knife from his pocket. He cut the ropes binding my hands, but caught them again before they connected with his face.

“Who are you?” I spat, tasting the blood in my mouth.

“I am but a feather. A piece of this wing of the rebellion. We are freedom. We stand against what is wrong in this world.” He took the knife, cutting the ropes around my legs.

“As far as a name goes. I’m Erwin Smith.” I decided to not lash at him this time. I estimated I’d need to go through at least 20 men trying to get out from wherever I was. Judging by the musk of the room, I was deep underground.

“And what if I don’t want to be a part of your so called “wing”?” I sneered, sitting up and looking at him.

His hands moved faster than my eyes could track, bringing the knife roughly between my legs, stopping short of their juncture. “You get clipped.”

 

 

“In a society that has destroyed adventure; the only adventure left is to destroy that society.” –Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't expect updates every day, I just have a few chapters backlogged.


	3. R.E.C.O.N.

“Why me?” I asked, walking through a hallway some three levels above the room I had been kept in. I could still tell that we were far underground, but at this point escape was not the play to make.

“You are gifted. It takes a great deal of skill to know how to be unseen while walking in broad daylight. In a crowd, it’s easy to overlook someone…” I shoot the man a dire look, calculating how many hits I could get in before I was on the ground. “with your talents of misdirection.” He smiled knowingly.

“So you need someone for infiltration. What am I breaking in to?” I kept my eyes forward, staring down the seemingly endless hallway. Every door and walkway looked identical, which meant it would be very easy to get lost even if I knew where I was going.

“I didn’t say that. I simply explained that it is one of your finest qualities. If we can get you working with other people, you might even be a decent operative here.”

“What exactly is this organization called?” I look up at him without moving my head. We make a right turn into a shorter hallway that seemed to branch into other smaller rooms. As I pass by one I see bunks and several people sleeping in them.

“Resistance Evoker Company: Oracle Network.” He chimed, as if reciting a line taught in a monotone voice with intent to make it sound less boring. “Sound interesting?”

“It sounds like someone really wanted the initials to spell Recon.” I sneered. His lip puffed out very briefly to feign injury, but he returned to his normal, flat face quickly. “How were you able to run like that? Nobody has caught me in over a decade.”

“We can teach you. It wasn’t all my muscles doing the work. We have… an advantage.” He raised an eyebrow, turning his head to look at me. “You were hard to catch even with the propulsion system. I can only imagine how fast you could navigate with one of your own.” My mouth curled into a scowl.

“So you cheated.” I scoff, a certain amount of respect lost for my captor. He let out a genuine laugh.

“I didn’t cheat, you were just improperly equipped.” He patted my back and I let out an audible growl. “We’re here.” He pushed open a door, allowing me entrance first. I glared at him as I passed by, eyes turning to the room I was entering.

Several fluorescent bulbs hung over a large table. Around the table stood a mismatching set of chairs pushed in to varying degrees. Only one of them was occupied. At the far end of the sturdy table, a man sat patiently with his hands folded on the wood in front of him.

He was younger than I, but carried an air of obligatory respect. His clothes were better than the A-top and cargo pants Erwin was wearing, and just a cut above my hooded sweatshirt and jeans. He wore a short jacket that looked like it may have been white at one point, but was so stained with dust and dirt that it looked like tan was its original color. Under this, he wore a pristine white shirt. The table blocked my view of the rest of his outfit, but I was sure that his pants were just as civil as the rest of his clothes.

“Hello Windjammer. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He extended a hand to me. The hand was disregarded. He motioned to one of the chairs next to him. “Please. Sit.” He gave me a friendly smile. The smile was disregarded.

“What do you want from me?” I growled, giving a stern look to the boyish blonde sitting in the chair at the head of the table. He gave a soft chuckle, his smile brightening.

“You have a valuable set of skills, as Erwin has undoubtedly informed you. He was adamant about contacting you with the offer. He thinks that with some training, you can be a better operative than he is.” I shot a look at Erwin, whose face flashed pink before returning to normal. “God forbid we give you a full training regimen. You might be the most powerful man in the world.”

He leaned back in the chair, stretching his arms behind him and resting them against his head. “I mean, if you aren’t interested, we can let you go.” He opened one eye and directed it at me, smirking.

“I don’t want power. I want to live my life without people _kidnapping me on the street_.” I said through clenched teeth. He sat back up, a bright smile on his face.

“So our objectives align. Perfect. I’ll get you started.” He laced his fingers and rested his chin against them.

“Dammit can’t I get a straight answer around here?” I yell, slamming my fists on the table. He feigns being startled, but his reaction time was obviously better than that. “What the fuck are you people doing here? What do you want from me?” I screamed at the boy, sitting in his rolling chair of absolute power. He closed his eyes and gave a soft smile.

“It’s simple. Just about as easy as it can be. We want you to help us take back this world.”

I scoff. “And who the hell are you to go up against the World Government?”

He opened his eyes again. “My name is Armin. I am the commander of R.E.C.O.N.”


	4. The Cast

I rejected Armin’s offer, but he implored me to reconsider. “Give it a night” he said nodding to Erwin, who stood up and walked behind me, implying I should follow. I stood and remained silent. “Oh, Erwin. Introduce him to the rest of the team. They might assist him in his decision.” He spun around in his chair, facing a wall that I only just realized was a large-scale map of the city.

“C’mon. I’ll show you where you can sleep.” He gestured back the way we had come from, taking the lead as I followed silently.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

“Better than you, huh?” I piped up after several minutes of walking in silence. I turned to look up at him, a smirk on my face. “How might you know that?”

He kept his face and his eyes straight forward. “I’ve heard of the quality of your work.” He grumbled, obviously flustered by the question.

“Bullshit. Only people who know who delivers the package is the Agency. How. Did you. Know?” I snarl, throwing my anger into my eyes with hopes that he could feel the hole I was boring in his head.

“We had surveillance following you. Something you would have noticed if you had been properly trained.” He continued looking forward.

“That Armin guy was specifically mentioning _you_ recommending me.” I retorted, turning my gaze forward once more. “Why.”

“W-well, I review the reconnaissance files on a case-by-case basi-“ “Bullshit.” I cut him off again. “You keep telling me lies. Tell me the truth.” He turned away to avoid the question, walking briskly to hide his features.

“I don’t know what more you want from me. I read the repor-“ “Bullshit!” I yell, spinning and grabbing him by the throat, pushing him against the wall of the hallway. “Tell me the fucking truth! How did you know who I was? How did you know my name?” I shout in his face, pushing against his collarbone with my forearm.

“I-I..” He stuttered, taken off guard by the assault. His face went straight again, snarling and picking me up by my collar, making an evasive move and pushed me against the wall in turn.

“Don’t mistake your position here, Jammer. Whatever safety you afforded by keeping off of the radar is null and void in here. One thing I noticed while I observed you was that you weren’t the best at CQC. _Another_ thing you will learn here. I will say it once more. You have potential, and I wanted to capitalize on it.” I spat on his face, which was inches from mine.

“How long were you watching me?” I snarled, breaking his grip, but still pinned against the wall by his size. He put his arms on either side of me in an attempt to make me feel small. “I bet you enjoyed it too. Where all did you see me?”

“I was tailing you for a few months, and I’ve seen more than you would probably like. I know enough about you to tell you that you need us, and I know enough about us to tell you that _we_ need _you_.” He scowled, leaning in to my ear. “And let me tell you. We don’t need you anywhere near as much as you need us. Another outburst like this, and I _will_ discipline you.”

He pulled away, straightening his shirt and brushing off his chest as I drop to the floor. “Come on. I’ve still got to show you the barracks.” I shoot him a murderous look as I get up and do the same. “After you, Sergeant Stalker”

He began walking quickly away, and I followed in step, having to go a bit faster due to my shorter legs.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

In the barracks, I was introduced to the remaining members of the primary brigade of R.E.C.O.N.

One boy who seemed about Armin’s age was named Eren. He looked like a shaggy mutt that had been dragged into this without his own choice. I could relate.

A second male named Jean was sleeping, so I couldn’t get a good look at him, but I would most likely be leaving soon, so there was no reason for me to gain any knowledge of these people.

There were two more males and three females in the barracks, the genders separated by sides of the room. Everyone continued to assure me that I would feel better after sleeping, but I knew that I couldn’t get any sleep in a room full of people I had never met.

It didn’t help that I had been knocked unconscious for several hours, which probably added to my sleep record.

“This is where you’ll sleep for the night.” Erwin gestured to the corner bed we were standing in front of after walking through the barracks. The room wasn’t massive, but it had enough space to fit roughly 20 bunk beds; only half of which were occupied.

I step next to the bed and run a finger along the sheet on top of the thin mattress. I gaze at my finger, now covered in dust.

“I don’t think so.” I shoot a glare to Erwin, knowing we were out of earshot of the others. I clap my hands together, watching the dust scatter from my finger.  His eyes met my glare and he frowned, rolling his eyes.

“You aren’t going to tell me that you’re a clean freak.” He leaned against one of the top bunks, clearly changed from the military persona he had been exhibiting before. I quickly take hold of the edges of the dusty sheet and pull it off, shaking the dust into his face in a swift motion.

He recoiled, coughing and squinting at me through the dust particles in the air, his uniform now covered in the refuse. “What the hell was that for?” He snapped, taking a step back towards me.

I chuckle, closing my eyes and turning away. “What, you aren’t going to tell me you’re a clean freak, are you?”


	5. Conflict

I resigned to my inability to sleep and set out to get a read on the other operatives of this “rebellion” before leaving. Any information I could gather might be enough to save my life one day. I fully acknowledged that I would have to stay here for at least a short period of time until they make the mistake of letting me near an open area.

“Hey. You're the new guy, right?” Eren raised an eyebrow as he leaned against his bedpost and yawned into a fist. His clothes were as scruffy as his hair, covered in patches and showing obvious signs of wear on the edges.

“I just got kidnapped, if that's what you fuckwits call being the new guy, then I guess I'm it.” I scowled in his direction as more of a show of dominance than any true malicious intent. He didn't need to know that. He stepped back slightly before continuing.

“New guy, yeah. What's your name so I can stop calling you new guy?” He seemed like the type who rolled with the punches instead of trying to fight.

_Non-confrontational, witty, attempts to be charming. Relatively low threat_

“Call me Jammer.” I respond curtly, eyes falling to the table in the center of the room.

“Wow, there's a name for ya. Cockblock built right into the title.” he snickered at his own joke despite none of the other members being awake. People laughing at their own jokes is almost as obscene as public masturbation. The person doing it thinks that it's fine, and it's important, and it's great, but everyone else just wants it to be over so they can move on with their lives.

“What's your name so I can find some joke you've never heard before either” I snapped through my teeth.

“Calm down bud, I was just joking. The name's Eren.” he smiled one of those smiles that makes your face exponentially more punchable. He walked forward and extended his hand to shake, which was also promptly ignored.

“Just because you have my name doesn't mean that we're acquaintances.” I turned back around and decided that trying to sleep would be a better use of my time. After a half hour or so, I managed to concede to my tiredness and sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Jammer! Wake up, it's time for training.” Levi managed to glare at Erwin without opening his eyes. His head fell back down against the pillow with a hollow thump.

“My nuts...” He groaned as he turned over, his back now to the figure standing next to his bed.

“What? Erwin tried to maintain his composure but staggered a bit, caught off guard by his response.  
“My nuts... Suck 'em.” Levi pulled the blanket up over his head once more.

 

Erwin scowled, taking Levi's leg in hand and yanking him out of the bed in one smooth pull. The concrete rushed to meet Levi's face, forcing a grunt out of him.   
“What the fuck!?” He scrambled to stand, face twisted with disdain for Erwin. He dropped low and pushed him into the adjacent bed, the frame sliding along the floor as Erwin tried to catch himself on it as he fell. Levi readied himself in a fighting stance, moving away from the bed and towards the center of the room.

“Good morning to you too, Jammer” Erwin scoffed, brushing himself off. “Nice to see you energetic for your first day of training. If you want to fight me, all you had to do was ask.”

 

He approached Levi who maintained his battle stance, sidling around Erwin as he continued moving towards him. Levi slid right and ducked down, moving towards Erwin and readying a punch just as he was able to watch Erwin's extended hand shooting masterfully into his stance and colliding with his throat. Levi fell mid-stride and clutched his hands to his neck, each breath radiating pain. Erwin moved over him, looking down at the fetal man coughing uncontrollably. “Lesson one: Make your enemy mad.”

 

 

“The pattern of the prodigal is: Rebellion, ruin, repentance, reconciliation, restoration.” -Edwin Louis Cole

 


End file.
